2023-12-31-accounts - Exeter City Centre Chaplaincy

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Exeter High Street

2023 ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

ECCC, c/o The Mint Methodist Church, Fore Street, Exeter, EX4 3AT ; email: exeterccchaplaincy@gmail.com Registered charity Number 1160294

INTRODUCTION TO THE ANNUAL REPORT BY REV’D SHEILA SWARBRICK, Chair of Trustees.

Welcome to the ninth annual report of the Exeter City Centre Chaplaincy covering the calendar year 2023. National and international events continued to affect retail business in the city centre as they did across the country. The Ukrainian conversation café on Paris St maintained its support for Ukrainians and was visited regularly by a chaplain. Inflation meant not only often fewer sales but also an increase in theft so some stores have security staff and extra barriers while others cannot afford that. Sadly, there was no repeat carnival but new Christmas lights, colourful hanging baskets throughout the summer and a bright painted flower mural high up on a wall on Sidwell St all paid for by Exeter BID funding.

The four seasonal Fore St Flea Markets on Sundays have become a feature of city life. The redeveloped House of Fraser building opened with Hotel Indigo and its various bars and spa and two new retail units which saw Holland and Barrett move to larger premises and the return of Mountain Warehouse. Trailfinders also moved and all three leave empty units on the High St. Wilkos in the Guildhall closed but the Exeter unit was one of the very few that reopened a few weeks later. These are all part of the continued flux in retail.

The small team of chaplains continued to visit shops where they found a changing situation with business that had closed, others changing opening hours or with rapid staff turnover or few staff around. Expenditure during the year was minimal and again donations from churches were not required. This situation will be reviewed again in 2024.

The ministry of prayer for the city centre and for the chaplains is essential. Regular meetings for prayer and sharing by the

chaplains continued at the Mint church. The Trustees met in June and December with them.

The annual service of dedication was held in January 23 but with no new chaplains trained during the year it was decided at the December Trustees meeting to postpone the next service until Spring 25. It would be hoped that could coincide with both the Annual Report for 24 and dedication service for chaplains trained in 24.

Though now a small group the presence of the chaplains is valued by various businesses and pastoral encounters take place. Our strapline ‘reflecting God’s love in the city’ remains as important as when the chaplaincy was forming in 2013 before our launch in January 2014.

The Exeter City Centre Chaplaincy came into being through the financial, prayerful and people support of different churches in the city. It will only flourish if we continue to work together affirming our shared calling in Christ to care for our city. We hope that you can commit to supporting this ministry through your prayers, your giving (in the future) and through encouraging someone to become a volunteer chaplain. If you need more information, please get in touch.

Finally, my thanks to the hardworking chaplains and for the support of the other trustees, without you there would be no city centre chaplaincy.

Chair of Trustees.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Rev’d Sheila Swarbrick - Central Parish - Chair
Rev’d Simon Taylor - South Street Baptist Church
Rev’d Dr Alastair Logan - United Reformed Church
Rev’d Paul Collings - St Nicholas Methodist Church
Major Sue Camp-Richards (R) - Salvation Army
David Smith - Church of England
Hon. Treasurer - Dr Sean Swarbrick

CHAPLAINS

Lead Chaplain

Rev’d Paul Collings - Methodist Church

Volunteer Chaplains

Major Sue Camp-Richards (R) - Salvation Army
David Smith - Church of England
Maureen Stoolman - Methodist
Tim Gainsford - Vineyard Church

Aims and Purpose

Exeter City Centre Chaplaincy seeks to reflect the love of God through: Visiting stores and other places of business in the City Centre on a regular basis and caring for the business community within the City Centre, through listening and offering support as required.

Mission Statement

We seek to serve the people who work in business community within Exeter City Centre as a practical Christian presence, expressing the caring love of God.

We seek to minister to their needs and to contribute to the well-being of the City Centre through being alongside them in their everyday lives.

Aims

to contribute to a vibrant and harmonious City Centre;
to be a visible presence of the Christian faith in the City Centre;
to be a listening ear, offering pastoral care and support;
to support people of all faiths and none within their work environment;
to respond to those wanting to explore matters of life and faith;
to offer support to people in times of trouble, anxiety or crisis;
to interact with the City Centre institutions and businesses to contribute to the well-being of the business community;
to speak up for those in the City Centre business community whose voice is not heard;

to be aware of needs or problems in the City Centre affecting the business community and to work with statutory bodies and other agencies to help to alleviate them;
to build bridges of understanding, trust and co-operation between workplaces, businesses or agencies and the faith communities.

The Nature of the Chaplaincy

The City Centre Chaplaincy

is a team of trained volunteer chaplains working on behalf of the City Centre churches, governed by the Board of Trustees and managed by a Lead Chaplain.
is established by the Christian churches but with clear links and referral pathways to the other faith communities in the city;
provides a professional and confidential service, with confidentiality only compromised where a person is believed to be in danger;
is independent of businesses, unions or statutory agencies;
expresses care and concern for the City Centre business community, irrespective of people’s faith or beliefs, and without preaching or proselytising.

Structure and Governance

Exeter City Centre Chaplaincy is registered with the Charity Commissioner as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) number 1160294

The Charity is overseen by a Board of Trustees who oversee the developing work of the chaplaincy. The Board of Trustees is made up of representatives from Exeter churches, who provide governance for the life and work of the chaplaincy service. They provide a link between ECCC and the churches and community in central Exeter to promote and champion the work of the chaplaincy service.

This includes providing support to the ECCC Leadership Team and leading initiatives to ensure the successful delivery of the ECCC

vision for the City of Exeter.

The task of the Board of Trustees is to.

Promote the integration of pastoral/spiritual care into the running and delivery of ECCC.
Establish and maintain relationships that will enhance ECCC.
Articulate an understanding of chaplaincy culture and systems.
Support, promote and encourage ethical decision-making and care.
Foster a collaborative relationship with Christian and other faith relationship communities.
Lead initiatives to seek and secure funding to support ECCC activities and service year on year.

RESERVES POLICY 2023 – 2024

We submit our annual report in accordance with the requirements of the Exeter City Centre Chaplaincy aims and objectives and those of Charities SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice).

The trustees have established their mission aims taking into account all of the resources available in terms of people and money

Mission initiatives/projects have been costed or estimates made of projected future costs which take into account the needs identified by the Lead Chaplain and Trustees

We have agreed a Reserves Policy which is set out below and is recorded in the trustees’ minutes and our Annual Report

We recognise the need to be accountable as charity trustees for all the money which comes into our hands and will provide further information as required.

The Chaplaincy Reserves Policy deals with Our General Fund: This as at 31 December 2023 stands at £4718.16

General Funds Reserve

These funds are on deposit at the Cooperative Bank.

We aim, ideally, to hold in reserve sufficient money in these reserves to cover six months expenditure – approx. £500 under normal circumstances. The chaplaincy needs this money in reserve as working capital to cover normal running costs, peaks in expenditure, and a contingency for developing our service to the city centre.

In particular we intend to

[Develop our training programme for newly recruited ] volunteer chaplains

[Extend the scope of our outreach to include shops ] and businesses currently not covered by our volunteer chaplains
[Continue to develop our current chaplains’ skills ] more readily to support the people we serve.

This Reserves Policy is reviewed and updated on an annual basis.

A LEAD CHAPLAIN’S REVIEW OF THE YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTS

ANNUAL REPORT for January to December 2023

From the Lead Chaplain – The Revd Paul Collings

Since the pandemic, change continues to be seen across the City Centre with some well known establishments ceasing to trade and others opening in their place. This inevitably has meant a change for chaplains, particularly as we support those facing redundancy on the one hand and welcoming new workers to the city centre retail community.
Our regular prayer meetings, enables chaplains to share in mutual support and continues to be the bedrock of the chaplain's work.
Trustees and chaplain have met in ensure the oversight and governance of the chaplaincy meets our charitable purposes.
For a fourth fiscal year the chaplaincy suspended subscription dues from local churches as the streamlining of operation significantly reduced

expenditure enables the chaplaincy to function within the funds available.

Greeting Cards were posted during Easter and Christmas seasons in 2023 with the lead chaplain linking with Christmas Market stall holders. Other chaplains have made links with the Ukrainian centre in Paris Street and veterans regular coffee morning held at St Stephen's Church
Whilst the team of chaplains now stands at 5, the breadth of the work continues albeit through smarter working and concentrating upon where there is most need for pastoral support.
Two of our chaplains have expanded the ministry of the chaplaincy through 'prayer walking' particularly where, due to the busyness of a particular retail establishment, a visit is not possible.
We are planning to expand the scope of the chaplaincy particularly in the St Thomas area in association with local church personnel.

Recruitment of new chaplains

Plans were put in place towards the end of 2022 to recruit additional chaplains in 2023 to fill vacancies left by the retirement of a number chaplains. Regrettably, whilst we had a number of folk who inquired about the work showing some interest in becoming a City Centre Chaplain, as yet, no one has made a commitment to work as a chaplain. Further recruitment will take place in 2024 followed by introduction and training those wishing to become chaplains.

The Chaplains Training Programme Includes:

Pre-training observation and investigation

Self-directed independent exploratory study on visible presence
Module 1: Exploring visible presence together in a taught module
Module 2: Chaplaincy skills – taught session and exploration
Shadowing experience – a taster experience guided by a lead or volunteer chaplain
Module 3: The chaplaincy community – learning how the volunteer fits and relates within the chaplaincy team
Module 4: The chaplaincy toolkit – different models of practice, policy and expectations
Preparation assessment for commissioning
In between some modules all new volunteer chaplains are expected to undertake some ‘homework’ as preparation for the next one. Lead Chaplain provide mentoring and coaching support throughout the whole process.

Chaplaincy Prayer

Loving God, we give you thanks for those who work in the businesses and shops at the heart of Exeter. Pour out your Spirit on the City Centre Chaplaincy which serves them. Day by day may we celebrate your presence in our life together; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Exeter City Centre Chaplaincy Financial Statement

Through the streamlining of operation and less demands upon funds, trustees did not seek sponsorship from a number of Exeter partner Churches for the fiscal year ending December

Summaryfor 2023

In hand on	4873.51

Income		Expenditure

Mint Methodist Church	500.00	Insurance	480.00
		Lead Chaplains' expenses	65.35
		Administration	70.00

Total income	500.00	Total expenditure	615.35

		In hand on	4758.16
		includes £1000 in reserves

2023.

Website https://exeterccchaplaincy.blogspot.com